ALMAGUIN – Members of local Lions Clubs from Kearney to Bonfield are gearing up for the annual Lions/CTV Children’s Christmas Telethon on Dec. 6 with exciting new plans in the works.

“This year Bell TV has come on board and we’re going to be broadcasting the entire telethon live via satellite,” said telethon chair Bob Dugard of Bonfield. “This is an incredible move forward for us, and we owe a real debt of thanks to our telethon producer Yura Monestime of Canadore College for this exciting opportunity.”

Those in the Almaguin area with a Bell satellite system will have seen the addition of channel 247 last week, clearly marked as the Lions/CTV telethon channel. “We’ll start broadcasting at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6,” said Dugard, “and we’re going to have to run a really tight ship in order to cover our 40 entertainers and the phone banks as well. This is going to be as professional a broadcast as we’ve ever done and everything has been timed to the second.”

The Lions will be using the Nipissing University theatre for the entertainment portion of the event, and the Canadore College broadcasting studio for the phone panel. “One of the things we want to do is get as many people out to the theatre as possible,” said Dugard. “It’s going to be a wonderful show and we want people to come out and cheer the competitors on.”

Entertainers for this year’s show have been chosen from area performers who previously submitted audition CDs and DVDs. “With our new Bell partnership, we decided that a new format for the telethon would be a nice change,” said Dugard. “This year we’re presenting Does Northern Ontario Have Talent, and because we’re on satellite, the show will be seen nationally, so family and friends in right across the country will be able to see our hometown talent.”

Those watching the show, in the theatre or at home, will be able to vote for their favourite performer in two categories, 18 years of age and younger, and those over 18. “Local businesses have donated money and gift certificates as prizes and near the end of the broadcast, just before 11 p.m., we will be announcing the first, second and third-place winners in the two categories,” Dugard said. “Those who phone in and pledge $10 or more will have the opportunity to vote right on the phone. In addition, we have a panel of judges that will be in the theatre and we plan on cutting to them to get their critique of the entertainers throughout the night. This year, it’s not just a telethon, it’s a real live entertainment event.” The show will also be broadcast over the internet and people will be able to vote online.

Judges for the afternoon performances will be Dean Belanger of CKAT radio, Corbeil cartoonist Lynn Johnston and local musician Jake Thomas of Jake and the Fundamentals. The evening judges will be headlined by recording artist Aimee Dayton, who will join Dean Belanger and Lee Kools of the Capital Centre.

While Dugard admits to being “all hyped up” about this year’s telethon changes, he remains even more excited about the cause. “The Lions Clubs’ goal for the last 57 years has remained the same,” he said, “to make Christmas morning more magical for as many children as we can - for children who otherwise may not have a Christmas to remember.”

Working with area teachers, clergy, concerned citizens and child welfare agencies, local Lions clubs submit lists of names with children’s ages, to a committee who qualifies the families. “Each year the lists get longer and the need increases,” Dugard said. “My personal goal this year is to raise $40,000. If we can even come close to that, or better yet, exceed it, then all the hard work, stress and time that goes into the telethon will have been well worth it. The satisfaction of being involved in a project like this is so rewarding that I don’t regret a moment of the anxiety the planning can cause.”

Because the show is broadcast live, “you never know what’s going to happen,” he said. “We don’t even work with a time delay, so whatever happens or gets said on the stage will be seen across the country. That alone can make the show worth watching.”